Method and apparatus for treating curled fiber rope



Dec. 9 Q1924. 1,519,094

P. 5. wou.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING CURLED FIBER ROPE v Filed July 12, 1924 2 Shets-{Slxe 1 1 Q Wk; V E p 1 1 9:1 31 N a N K K.

P. E. WQLL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING CURLED FIBER ROPE Dec. 9 1924- 2 Shee Filed July 12 1924 W H E WHHUHHHHHHH illllll lwl .NH IWMMIHHHH HMHM HHHUHMMHMHII a A n M a Inventor. lauZE Well, f? y- Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES PAUL E. WOLL, OF PHILADELP HIA. PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREAT'ZNG CURLED FIBER ROPE.

Application filed July 12,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PAUL E. VVOLL, a citizen oi the United States, residing in the city of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Permsylvania,.fhave invented an improved Method and Apparatus for Treating Curled Fiber Rope, off which the following is a specification. v

My invention is designed to provide improved means and apparatus for producing curled fibers, particularly horse hair, suitable for use in the manufacture of mattresses, cushions, and the like. Such fibers are commonly curled by being twist-ed tightly into ropes and treated. to set the twist or curl therein. Such twisted or curled ropes must {he then separated into their constituent fibers to provide an elastic, resilient mass. My invention is designed to overcome the slow and tedious hand operations heretofore involved in efiecting the loosening of the fibers and to provide means for mechanically loosening the fibers economically and efliciently.

In the practice of my invention, a rope of curled fiber is passed through arotor, which imtwists the fibers and immediately puts a reverse twist there-in so that the continuity of the rope is maintained until it is released from the rope drawing means. When the rope is released from the drawing means tWlSilUQS in reverse directions to which the fibers have been subjected tend to counteract one another and loosen the fibers, permitting them to be readily separated from one another by shaking or combing in a carding machine. The end of the rope on the opposite side of the rotor from the drawing means is preferably supported so that it may rotate with and in the same direction as the rotor so as to avoid premature untwisting of its fibers.

The characteristic features and advantages of my improvements will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying" dr'a ings in illustration of a. preferred embodiment of apparatus for practicing my method.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of apparatus embodying my improvements and adapted for the practice of my process; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the rotor shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3' is a transverse sec tional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Serial No. 725,855.

Fig. iillustrates a section of curled fiber rope, a portion of which has been given a reverse twist by my process and apparatus.

As illustrated in the drawings, my improved apparatus comprises a rotor 1, journalled in bearings 2 of a bracket or support 3, and having tubular body at, with a pulley 4 fiz-zcd thereon, and a head 5 forming a yoke in which are ournalled rolle 6 and 7 The roller 6 is provided with a peripheral friction surface, preferably formed of vent wires or bristles '5'. The roller 7 has its axle 7' journalled in the slots 5 and is pressed by the springs 8 toward the roller 6, so that these rollers form jaws for tightly engaging a rope passed between them. A guide plate 9 is fixed to the head 5 adjacent to the rollers to guide between the rollers the rope being treated.

A belt 10 passes over the pulley 4c and over pulley 11 which is rotated by a belt 12 driven by a motor 13, whereby the rotor 1 is rotated in. its bearings.

The motor 13 also acts through variable speed transmission mechanism 14 and a belt 15 to rotate a drawing oil roller 16 mounted in the frame 17. A fluted or knurled roller 18, journalled in the frame 17., is pressed toward the roller 16 by the adjustable spring tension mechanism 19.

A trough 20. mounted on the standards 21. may be used to support the curled fiber rope, the end out which is looped over the swiveled hook having connected therewith tension member 23 which passes over the sheave 24 and is fixed to the small pulley 25 on the shaft 26. A. pulley 27. preferably of larger diameter than the pulley 25. is fixed to the shaft 26 and has connected to the periphery thereof tension member 28 from which depends a changeable counterweight 29.

In the practice of my method, a rope comprising fiber" such as horse hair, tightly twisted into convolution A and treated to set the curl in such fibers, has one end looped over the swivelled hook 22 and the other end threaded through the tube 4, over the guide plate 9, between the rollers 6 and 7, and through the rollers 16 and 18.

Upon starting the motor 13, the rotor 1 is rotated at a high rate of speed and the rope is drawn through the rollers 6 and 7 by the drawing off rollers 16 and 18. Since the rollers 6 and 7 and the rollers 16 and 18 prevent the concurrent rotation of the respective rope sectionsgripped thereby, the

rope section between such sets of rollers is rapidly untwisted and immediately retwisted in the reverse direction, the reverse twist beginning sufficiently close to the rollers 6 and 7 to prevent the separation of the fibers of the rope, thus permitting the rope to be drawn continuously through the apparatus by the drawing otl rollers 16 and 18, whose speed is regulated in desired relation to the rotation of the rotor 1 and the length of the fibers composing the rope. When the re versely twisted rope has passed from between the rollers 16 and 1.8, it is released and hangs tree, so that the set curl in the fibers tends to overcome the reverse twist to which such fibers have been momentarily subjected. This results in loosening of the fibers, which may be readily combed or pulled into the desired curled mass.

As the rope is drawn through the apparatus, it pulls upon the tension member 23, which in turn acts through the pulleys 25, 27 and tension member 28 to raise the weight 29 so that the rope is fed under uniform tension. The swiveled connection of the hook 22 permits the end of the rope secured thereto to rotate with and in the same direction as the rotor 1 sufiiciently to avoid any undesired premature untwisting of the rope before it reaches the position between the rollers 6 and 7 and 16 and 18.

When the end of the rope fixed to the hook 22 approaches the rotor 1, a new rope section may be secured thereto, as by a hook, and the farther end of the new rope section fixed to the hook 22, which is retracted by the counterweight 29.

It will thus be seen that by my method and apparatus a rope of tightly twisted or curled fibers may have its fibers loosened from one another in a continuous mechanical operation, without injury to such fibers or detracting from their resiliency.

Having described my invention, 1 claim:

1. The method of treating curled fiber rope which comprises untwisting the rope, giving a reverse twist thereto and releasing the fibers.

2. The method of treat ng curled fiber rope which comprises simultaneously drawing upon and rotating such rope reversely to the twist therein.

3. The method of treating curled fiber rope which comprises passing such rope through a rotary device revolving reversely to the twist in said rope.

1. The method of treating curled fiber rope which comprises securing a rope section against rotation, rotating a rope section adjacent to said section first named, and continuously moving the rope through the rotating means.

5. The method of treating fibers which comprises twisting them into a rope and forming a curl therein, untwisting and immediately retwisting such fibers and loosen ing the curled fibers.

' 6. The apparatus for treating curled fiber rope which comprises a rope holder, a rotor tor engaging the rope, and means for feed ing the rope through said rotor.

7. The apparatus for treating curled fiber rope which comprises a rotor and means for feeding a rope through said rotor.

8. The apparatus for treating curled fiber rope which comprises a rotor having jaws revoluble on axes transverse to the axis of said rotor.

9. The apparatus for treating curled fiber rope which comprises a rotor and means for holding a section of said rope against rotation.

10. The apparatus for treating curled fiber rope which comprises a rotor, means for holding a rope section against rotation, and means for supporting a different rope section and permitting rotation thereof.

11. The apparatus for treating curled fiber ropes which comprises a swiveled member engaging a rope section, a rotor having elastic jaws engaging another rope section, a rope guide between said member and jaws, and means for (12LWi11g rope through said jaws.

12. The method of treating curled fiber ropes which comprises holding a rope section against rotation, rotating a rope section adjacent to said section first named, and moving said rope through said holding and rotating means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of July, 1924.

' PAUL E. VVOLL. 

